Regional Rail Question

Hey guys,
Tommorow I will be in Philly for the day and would like to ride your commuter rail system. I have never been on SEPTA before, so if anyone could tell me what would be a nice ride, i'll be in the area of Philadelphia Intl' Airport.

Thanks,
-Tom

Dpends on what you're interested in. The commuter rail system (in SEPTA-ese the RRD, for Regional Rail Division) serves a number of areas inside the city plus a lot of suburban territory. The R1 runs from the airport to Center City (3 main stations). From there you can transfer to the other R-numbered lines (but see below). You can find maps on the SEPTA website http://www.septa.org/service/rr_schedules.html.

My own thoughts about interesting lines -

The R5 is the longest line and runs from Paoli or Thorndale in the far western suburbs to Doylestown or Lansdale in the north. You get to see a lot of both new-money and old-money homes on the Paoli side, which uses the Amtrak/PRR Main Line.

One arm of the R7 serves Chestnut Hill, one of the more posh neighborhoods inside Philly while the other end heads up to Trenton. You can see a lot inside the city as opposed to the R5 which is mostly suburban.

The R2 runs all the way to Wilmington and Newark in Delaware (note that the Delaware town is pronounced new-ARK while the one in New Jersey is NEW-ark, or even "noork".

I'd recommend against the R6 Norristown, partly 'cause I had to ride it so many years and partly 'cause it goes through some pretty grotty areas; e.g. it passes by the Norristown sewage treatment facility. Not too bad in winter but overwhelming in summer.

Don't ask why there is no R4. It's a looonnggg story....

The kicker is going to be fares. SEPTA is one of the most expensive systems in the country and most payment options are geared to regular commuters. Most single fares are between Center City and an outside station. However if you're taking a trip that goes through Center City with only a transfer at one of the 3 stations (i.e. no stopover) you can buy a ticket from one side of the system to the other for only a bit more than a one-sided fare. Just keep your ticket for proof of payment when (or if) you change trains.

There is a Day Pass but IIRC its use is limited to a single ride on the RRD.

The other option if you're doing a LOT of travelling would be to buy a weekly pass for the maximum zone number you plan to visit. That'll give you unlimited rides, but it may not be cost-effective. You'll have to look at the fares on the website and decide.

Enjoy!

I would highly recommend a ride on the Route 100 which is sort of an interurban. The R6 goes from Center City to Norristown Transportation Center, and from there you can take the Route 100 Norristown High Speed Line to 69th Street in Upper Darby. From there you can catch the elevated subway back to Suburban Station where all 13 Regional Rail Lines stop.
I wish that you could ride on the new PCC-II trolleys, but they are not running yet.
You should also consider the River Line which runs from Camden to Trenton, NJ.
Greg 19051

I've ridden pretty close to half of the septa lines. The Doylestown line provides some nice rural scenery above Lansdale like farms and streams. For circuits, one could knock out both chestnut hill branches. I did that today. From Chestnut Hill west, you could walk down to the Chestnut Hill east terminus and continue to Philly via the ex-Reading. Don't forget, where you are staying which is near the airport, Septa does run a route to the airport so that is a plus right there. Avoid anywhere in N. Philly if you can because the neighborhoods are BAD.

njt/mnrrbuff, since you said that North Philadelphia Neighborhoods are bad, can you tell me the Bridesburg (R7 Station) transfer to the Frankford Transportation Center? Would it be safe to walk between these 2 points or would I have to find alternate transportation option, such as, taxis or etc.? Thanks!

Bridesburg is not North Philly. Its an OK area. You can catch the Rt 73 bus on Bridge Street which is a 7-10 minute ride from the train station. Its a long walk, and the neighborhood does get a little hairy as you get close to Bridge-Pratt. 73 runs every 10-15 minutes during the day.

JeffK wrote:The kicker is going to be fares.

If you can put off your trip a little, both the Auto Show and the Flower Show are coming up in the next coupla months, and SEPTA usually sells unlimited use daily passes during those events. Unlike the Daypass, they're good for trips through as well as to Center City, and they're good for as many trips as you want to take.

Unfortunately, there's no information on the SEPTA site as to whether they will be offered this year. I wouldn't put it past them to refuse to sell them as a misguided attempt to coerce people into lobbying their legislators on SEPTA's behalf (from what I've seen SEPTA tactics like this have provoked more of a backlash).

Thanks for the replys guys, i'll be driving down to take care of some business right near the airport and driving back up to NY the same day. Im thinking i'll only have time to ride the R1, and if im lucky a ride on one of the streetcar lines.

-Tom